Thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s General Secretary election, whether by standing as a candidate or casting your vote. Your involvement helps ensure our union continues to reflect the views of its members.
We are pleased to announce the result of the election:
Dave Callow has been elected as General Secretary.
Congratulations to the successful candidate who has won by a two-thirds majority. Thank you to both candidates who put themselves forward for this role. We appreciate the time and effort from everyone who contributed to the process.
Dave Callow said:
“Thank you for the trust you have placed in me as General Secretary of the Social Workers Union. We believe in solidarity and belonging – the values of social work and of your trade union SWU.
“I would like to thank John McGowan for his dedication to SWU as General Secretary this past 10 years and his guidance in ensuring SWU has become a truly specialist union that understands and responds to the needs of Social Workers. I am grateful to our members and activists for their support as well as the SWU team for organising and running this election. To my family and friends for their constant encouragement I am very grateful. Together we will continue to defend social work values, improve working conditions, and ensure your voice is heard, but within all this, I want you to feel you belong to SWU. Thank you all for believing in our shared future. The rest we do together.
You are never alone.”
John McGowan said:
“I am delighted that Dave Callow has been elected as the new General Secretary. His long-standing commitment to SWU, both as an active member and more recently as Chair, has made a significant contribution to the union’s growth, strength, and effectiveness.
“I first met Dave in Palestine, where we both took part in an externally funded study visit to the West Bank. From that time onwards, I have consistently been impressed by his dedication to activism, his pursuit of social justice, and his unwavering commitment to supporting others.
“Much of the work within SWU takes place behind the scenes, and throughout this time Dave has continually demonstrated strong leadership, sound judgement, professionalism, and a deep understanding of the organisation. His close involvement in supporting the General Secretary role has given him invaluable insight into both the opportunities and demands of the position. This experience was clearly reflected in his thoughtful and measured approach throughout the selection process, including the skills assessment, and in the professional manner in which he conducted his campaign and subsequent election.”
Delay in election results announcement
The election process itself has not been without challenges, including unfair and inaccurate criticism as well as two formal complaints submitted to the independent election scrutineer and returning officer, Civica UK, regarding our procedures. While SWU remained fully confident in the integrity and robustness of our process, we agreed that Civica UK should undertake an independent review following the formal complaints lodged.
In light of this review, the formal announcement of the election result was delayed to ensure that all matters were fully concluded before the declaration was made.
As expected, SWU was able to respond comprehensively to the allegations raised and, following a thorough examination of the election procedures, Civica UK concluded that SWU’s election process had been conducted appropriately and in accordance with the required standards. More information on this can be found in the SWU General Secretary Election 2026 Statement: https://swu-union.org.uk/2026/05/swu-general-secretary-election-2026-statement